


This Means War

by trailerparktrixie



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 17:20:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 20,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7583011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trailerparktrixie/pseuds/trailerparktrixie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>O'Solo Rom-Com style.</p><p>“A date?  A date?  This is a date,” KO asks?<br/>Hope is mortified.  “Well no.” she says.  “I am just giving you a heads up for any future dates.”<br/>“For our future dates,” KO asks?<br/>Uuummm…Hope stammers.<br/>KO declares “No, this is a date, and you said so.  No take backs.”  She then jumps up and runs to the cashier to pay up effectively winning that argument.<br/>Hope just wishes KO would stop humming and grinning.  It’s like she is gloating.</p><p> </p><p>And in the end, KO was right.  She did wage a little war on Hope.  She had to, the stakes were high.  KO turned out to be a benevolent ruler in the Land of Hope and she performs daily raids into the land, pillaging and looting for every little piece of Hope she can get.  </p><p>AU content that includes soccer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How It All Began

Scenario – Mid/Lower end suburbs in New Jersey. Two houses right next door to each other. 

Yellow house – Hope lives there. 2 bedroom, bath and a-half bungalow bought 5 years ago. She holds down a less than exciting mid-level accounting job. She likes a low key lifestyle. Gardens in the backyard, raises a few chickens, has a dog, reads a lot, hates yoga, loves morning runs, and goes to the gym four days a week. 

Blue house – The Frat Daddies. Their leader is Kelley O’Hara (KO) and the Daddies consist of two of her teammates. They play soccer for Sky Blue, New Jersey’s NWSL team. In the early years of a soccer career you live a bit of a nomadic lifestyle (living with host families) until you can catch on with a team and settle in a bit. The Frats have been with Sky Blue for three years now. This year they vowed no more apartments. They wanted to rent a house so in their terms “we can do what we want, when we want.”

Conflict ensues immediately upon the Frats move in day. They drive the U-Haul right up over the curb to the front door creating ruts in the lawn. Various cars and trucks park all over the street blocking their neighbor’s driveway. The Frats and their friends party, chucking beer cans over the privacy fence and play music loudly until the wee hours. They eventually simmer down (pass out). The next morning Hope needs to leave for work and she can’t. Frat cars are blocking her drive. The only way she can get out is to drive through her own yard leaving ruts. This does not bode well.

When she returns home later that day. The blocking cars are gone at least but now she is stuck with hardened ruts in her lawn. She changes her clothes and gets out her hose and starts watering the lawn to soften it up and then treads (stomping at times) on the rut ridges to flatten them out while grumbling out a string of obscenities. The Frats covertly watch this out the window. It is the most bizarre thing they have ever seen. And the look on her face – scary. Like Queen of the Bitches. All KO can see are the biggest blue eyes she has ever seen.

Finished with the front yard Hope moves on to her backyard. She finds all of the beer cans tossed over the fence by the Frats the night before. Not only is she outraged by their behavior but she is disgusted by the cheap beer they drink. In the meantime, after the “crazy lady next door show” the Frats had moved to their back deck and stretched out in lawn chairs still trying to nap and sleep off their hang overs. Hope peeks over the fence and spies them all lounging around without a care in the world. She begins to hurl the cans over the fence hitting the sleeping Frats. Pandemonium breaks out. KO screams to take cover. Most of them scramble back into the house. It’s the Queen of the Bitches from next door. KO is secretly thrill. The Queen has noticed them and she has pretty good aim.

The rest for the work week is uneventful. When Kelley hears a car door slam she always peers out the window. She spies the Bitch Queen walking into her house after returning from work. Decked out in A-line skirts and silk shirts with mid-level heels and toting a brief case. She can’t help but look although she feels kind of purvey doing it. When the Daddies catch her doing it she is met with cat calls and refrains of “KO has it bad for the Bitch Queen.”

Hope for her part is doing the same thing. She sees an endless stream of women coming and going. She critically examines them. She can tell they are not all athletes. They are heavy on company over there. Once when they had returned from grocery shopping they unloaded the car by forming a bucket line tossing the bags from person to person into the house. Hope can only imagine the state those groceries were in after that. She can hear screams and squeals of “oh stop that” and “you guys.” They play basketball in the street on skateboards. She is secretly waiting on one of them to fall and break a leg or their neck causing them to be nicely out of the way in a rehabilitation clinic. She feels sorry for the clinic that gets them. Tequila IV’s and bed pan beer pong will become a staple there. And what was up with all the large trash cans they bought? What is going on over there? It’s like a Frat house she declares and from then on that is exactly what she calls it.

On Thursday Hope is in a children’s toy department to pick up a birthday present for her niece when she spies it. A periscope. She picks it up. "This is just what I need to covertly spy over the fence." She smiles and buys it. She hears hooting and hollering over at Frat house. Perfect time to try out her new periscope. She sneaks up to the fence and raises her scope. She now knows what the trash cans were for. They have a large beach ball and are playing some sort of beer pong on steroids with the trash cans. Kelley is taking her shot and misses. Hope is glad. KO on her way back to the deck notices a glint on the fence. That is odd. She is sure it has something to do with the Bitch Queen. 

KO sneaks up to the object on the fence and then leaps up and peers in it. She hears a loud scream. 

Hope experiences a loud thud on the fence followed by the appearance of a very large maniacal eye the lens of the scope. Screaming, she tumbles backwards, landing on her ass. Looking up, there she is, the ring leader of Frat house, hanging on the fence with a large dopey grin on her face and her eyes all lit up in glee.

“Hi ya neighbor. Whatcha doing?”

“Nothing, just checking the fence.”

“Well neighbor, if you don’t have anything to do why don’t you come on over?”

“Over there! Not on your life. I wouldn’t be caught dead playing some sort of warped beach party beer pong with a bunch of juvenile delinquents.”

“Hey, I thought you were checking the fence not spying on us. And beach party beer pong, I like the name. It’s catchy.” Oh the teasing KO thinks, I am so in my element.

Hope being caught red handed, turns 30 shades of red and just stomps her way into her house slamming the door shut. KO on the other hand is over joyed. The Bitch Queen is definitely interested.

On Saturday Hope is washing her car in the driveway. She glares at the Frat house. The ruts are still there and they do not seem to know what a lawn mower is. Five years of bliss has gone straight down the gutter. The Frats are kicking the ball around in their backyard. It soars over the fence towards their front yard. KO goes to get it. She can’t find it and notices Hope and hey, she might be all kinds of crazy but she’s kind of hot. She watches Hope for a few minutes washing her car in cut off jean shorts and a tight tank top. Geeze, those arms. And those legs. KO walks towards Hope to ask if she has the missing soccer ball. Man, Queen of the Bitches is kind of tall. KO likes that also. KO can just imagine sitting on the porch all day watching this show.

Hope senses someone and turns around catching KO just staring at her from about 3 feet away. Where is this going she wonders?  
“Uumm, excuse me,” KO calls out. 

“Hi, I’m Kelley but my friends call me KO I’m your new neighbor. We sort of met over the fence a couple of days ago. My roommates and I play for the soccer team.” KO holds out her hand for a shake. 

Hope stares at it. It takes all she has to offer her own hand. “I’m Hope,” she adds. She wonders how KO could think Hope would ever forget their “meet” over the fence. 

“Nice to meet you Hope.” 

Hope looks KO over. She thinks KO is on the scrawny side to be a professional athlete. And fidgety. And her socks do not match. Before Hope can dress her down any further she is caught up in KO’s large goofy smile and bright brown eyes. This spell over Hope is broken when KO asks her if she has seen her soccer ball. Hope says no but they start to look around for it. It is found in Hope’s now destroyed Dahlia bed. Fuming Hope turns the water hose on KO, blasting and chasing her all the way back to the Frat’s front door which KO ducks in and slams behind her. Drenched and panting she hears Hope let out what KO can only describe as a blood thirsty howl of a banshee. Hope, as she releases her scream kicks the ball half a block down the street. The Frats do not find it until the next day. KO thinks Hope, Hot Queen of Bitches not only has good aim but one hell of a kick.

On Sunday Hope finds herself fleeing her backyard again as she is chased by yellow jackets. The Frat’s backyard has an apple tree. It drops apples in Hope’s yard. The apples ferment attracting yellow jackets which get drunk off the fermented apples and torment Hope and her animals. Hope, having had enough of being chased around her backyard by drunken, marauding swarms of yellow jackets gets mad. She hears music playing outside next door and smells a charcoal grill burning. She peaks over the fence and gets a bead on the Frats on their deck. Then a very pissed off Hope flings the apples over the fence hitting the frats. Again the Frats are running around dodging incoming missiles with KO shouting out a warning to take cover. What is up with that Bitch Queen next door KO’s roommates grumble? "Hope, KO says with a dreamy smile on her face. Her name is Hope."


	2. Lunching With Carli

Hope is having lunch with Carli, her best friend. This is the second lunch interspersed with many more phone calls that Carli has had with Hope where the main topic of discussion is Frat house. Hope just cannot stop talking about them and especially as Hope puts it, “that KO”. 

“There are 3 of them and the small scrawny one, KO seems to be the ring leader. What her leadership appointment is based on I have yet to figure out. What kind of name is KO for a grown woman?” Hope asks. 

And Carli cannot believe all of the tales Hope has been relaying to her over this time. Hope flinging beer cans and rotten apples over the fence, and chasing one down with the garden hose. Carli questions Hope about these events but Hope sticks to her story so they must be true. Carli just cannot imagine Hope losing control like this. Carli finally interjects. “Hope have you tried talking to them?” 

“Well other than that one time when KO destroyed my Dahlia bed with her soccer ball, no. They are like demented children.” She pauses, “And, I do not think they eat anything that isn’t burnt to a crisp on that grill. That grill is practically burning 24/7. They are so untrustworthy I am afraid they are going to burn the whole block down. That and their rot gut beer.” Hope shudders. 

Carli can see Hope is getting agitated. Speaking carefully she says, “I think you should try to talk to them Hope. Things seem to be escalating at a rapid pace.”

“Never.” Hope retorts. “Oh, and I was able to track them down to their soccer team, Sky Blue, on the internet.”

Carli cocks an eye brow. “You have been low key cyber stalking them?”

“Hell yes. Of the 20 or so people I see traipsing in and out of that house I can recognize over half of them on sight. I have even looked at their Instagram pages. All they do is party, loll around on the beach, and perform risky “feats” of daring do.” Hope spits out. “It’s like they never left college. And that KO you’ll never believe it. She went to Stanford. Stanford! She somehow managed to graduate with a triple major even. Makes me wonder if there was some sort of grade rigging going on. And what does she do with that degree I ask you? Nothing. She decides to play a game for a living. And one that pays squat at that. Especially when you compare what the women get paid next to what the men get paid.”

Hope settles down for a moment and just when Carli believes the storm has passed Hope winds herself up again. “The men flop all over the field at the slightest bump. You would think they had a broken leg or something. Nope they eventually get up and trot off. The women on the other hand take a ball to face and wind up with a broken nose. They trot off to the sidelines, stuff gauze up their nose and go back out there and play. One even had her scalp stapled back together on the sidelines and then returned to the game. Unbelievable.”

Carli has now raised her other eye brow so it matches the first one. She is seriously wondering where all of this is going? Hope has clearly been watching soccer games and she never had any interest in them before. One minute Hope is bad mouthing them and the next championing them. It almost seems like Hope has some sort of weird KO bi-polar disease going on. And, Hope’s description of when they happen to catch each other outside walking back and forth to their cars. Sounds like two gun slingers meeting up at the OK Corral. They square up like they are standing at attention and side-eye glare at each other. KO has even had the nerve to wink at Hope and Hope responded to this by shouting “twerp” at her. Hope never responds to anyone goading her. It’s like KO was born knowing exactly how to needle Hope. And Hope is letting her. 

“Well Hope, it sounds like you admire them at least a little bit.”

Hope is now looking at Carli like she has just sprouted a second head.


	3. A Declaration Of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upping the ante on both sides.

Hope, who believes her lifestyle is quiet and respectful fails to realize that her rooster crows at the crack of dawn daily, waking the late sleeping Frats. The Frats hurl shin guards and cleats out of bedroom windows to try shut the rooster up. Hope finds their gear and rather than chuck it back at them she decides to keep it. She knows they need it and over time, piles it all up in a heap on her back deck. The Frats are running out of spare gear. They look over the fence and see all their gear on the Bitch Queens deck. The Daddies cannot understand why KO seems to be happy about this discovery. 

“Beer cans and rotten apples she will throw back at us but the gear we need she hoards,” the Frats fume. “She is pure evil.”  
The Frats decide to steal their gear back (KO’s suggestion). They decide to wait until midnight. They idle away the time drinking beer. Probably not the best idea since they are dealing with the Bitch Queen. Midnight rolls around and they walk down the joined side yards between the houses, tripping and laughing the whole way. Unbeknownst to the Frats they had chosen a course that had them traipsing right under Hope’s bedroom window. Their giggling wakes Hope up. She knows who it is right away. 

Hope sneaks a peek out the window and sees the Frats going into her backyard. She knows right away what they have planned (maybe this was actually Hope’s plan since she left the gear piled up where the Frats could easily see it). Hope leaps out of bed and springs into action. 

Hope had been cleaning her back deck by mopping it with a string mop earlier in the evening. The mop was still in her kitchen in a bucket, nice and wet. Hope arms herself with the mop and peers out the window. “What kind of pathetic sneak attack is this Hope thinks?” Then she considers who is trying to pull it off and it makes perfect sense. KO, goofball leader of the Frats. 

Hope waits until they are on her back deck filling their arms with gear. She can hear them snickering through the door. Hope charges out the door swinging her mop at the three figures. Hope repeatedly makes contact with a wet smacking sound. The Frats scream and drop all of the gear as they try to fend off the flailing mop. “Retreat,” KO screams. They scramble away as fast as they can with Hope in hot pursuit and getting in a few more smacks.

The Frats are splayed out on the living room floor gasping for breath. Hair wildly askew and in various states of wetness. KO, last in, has slid down the door. The Daddies are exclaiming various things. 

“That woman is bat shit crazy.” “She nearly took my head off.” “Pure un-adulterated evil.” “It’s like she knew we were coming.” 

KO has said nothing. The Daddies look at her. KO has a strange look on her face. She starts to get this deranged smirk and a gleam in her eye. The smirk enlarges into smile. It makes them picture the Grinch when he comes up with the idea to steal Christmas from the Who’s.

“Daddies, do you know what this means?” KO asks.

The Daddies look bewildered and say “That she can kick our ass any time she wants?”

KO stands and declares, “THIS MEANS WAR!”

The Daddies briefly consider mounting a coup and disposing of KO as their leader. It is really tempting but the thought of a pissed off KO in the house and the Bitch Queen next door is more than they think they can handle. KO might lead them to slaughter at the hands of the Bitch Queen but a pissed off KO in the house will surely smother them with their own pillows as they sleep.

KO leads the Frats to war by mapping out their battle plan. A regular little General KO. The glee that KO displays while cooking up their little battle plan leaves the Daddies a little unsettled. 

“We are going to hit her with some of her own medicine” KO tells the Daddies. 

They buy 100 balloons, fill them with water, pile them in buckets and then hoist the buckets and themselves into the trees in their backyard and wait. Its 6:00 Hope should be home any minute now.

Hope enters her backyard. Carli has come over and Hope wants to show her how her garden is doing. KO signals the Daddies to get ready. When Hope and Carli are just parallel with the trees KO signals to begin the attack. Water balloons fly by the dozens hitting Hope and Carli. Hope screams a litany of swear words and directs Carli to take cover behind the chicken coop.

Hunched over and dodging the occasionally water balloon Carli looks at Hope. “I take it that’s the Frats?”

“Yes,” Hope sneers. “When did they decide to grow a pair?”

“So you still haven’t talked to them I take it. As a matter of fact I gather you have been doing everything but talking to them. Mostly likely upping the stakes in your little war with them. Haven’t you Hope?” Carli sadly asks. “What now?”

Hope admits that there might have been another little skirmish or two that might or might not have included Hope bashing them with a wet mop in the middle of the night. Carli is now convinced that Hope is just “one act of crazy” away from evolving from mildly aggressive to outright serial killer.

“Look,” Hope points up at the trees. “That raggedy one in the blue t-shirt laughing her ass off. That’s KO. Their inept leader. The other two sitting up in the other tree trying to look like they just happen to be in a tree with a bucket of water balloons and have no idea what is going on, those are KO’s little clueless minions.”

Hope looks around and maps out a little battle plan of her own. Carli balks at first but then agrees to it. She just wants out of there before all sorts of bad happens. They collect chicken eggs from the coop and return fire. KO gets a direct hit in the face (score one for Hope). Another gets a bullseye hit in the chest (and a tally for Carli). The Frats are stunned and nearly fall out of the trees, losing their ammo in the process. Hope and Carli make it back in the house.

Carli knows she just can’t leave without saying something to Hope. In the back of her mind she wonders if she should be calling a mental health professional for Hope. Or a Swat Team. 

“Hope what’s next? Are you going to plant a horse head in one of their beds? Or maybe buy some cement and buckets and have them sleeping with the fishes by sun up?” Hope very briefly, grins. Carli wishes she hadn’t made those two “suggestions.” “Hope you are supposedly an older, wiser, and more mature person than they are. Surely you can resolve this without chucking eggs and brandishing a mop. Would you please just take a step back from the heat of the battle and take a detached look at what you have been doing?” Carli pleads. “Someone is going to get hurt. Probably an innocent bystander like me.”

As Carli is driving away she is amazed that she was there to actually witness one of these interactions, if that is even the right description of what just happened, between KO and Hope. KO had clearly put some thought into this and she was probably the one spear heading the attempted night raid earlier. KO wants Hope’s attention. 

KO had tried to talk to Hope on two occasions, at the fence and when she tried to find her soccer ball. Both times Hope lashed out at KO and even attacked KO with a hose. It would seem that KO is still trying to talk to Hope but she has switched to Hope's “language.” Carli imagines if this continues there will be a funeral with an extra-large casket containing both Hope and KO with their hands wrapped around each other’s neck in some sort of bizarre passionate death spiral.


	4. Or Else

The Frats have cleaned up and are drinking beer watching OITNB. KO isn’t really watching she is thinking of Hope. She has a smile on her face. She has to hand it to Hope, the woman is resourceful and fearless in battle. One hot enraged warrior. That really is half the fun of it for KO. The other half is that she knows Hope is over there obsessing about her. Watching her every move. The Daddies steal glances at KO. They can just see her thinking. Coming up with a new attack plan? Why? This one was such an epic fail. Someone is going to lose an eye. They are afraid it is going to be one of them. It won’t be the Bitch Queen. Clearly she is a cyborg.

There is a thud at the door. This can’t be good. They fuss and fight among themselves but the Daddies team up and force KO to go to the door. KO feels scared but yet weirdly excited. She knows this has something to do with Hope. "HA," KO thinks. She can’t even leave me alone for a night. KO cautiously opens the door to find a bean bag with a note attached. They grab tongs from the kitchen to pick it up and handle it like it might be radioactive…..or a bomb. It is an invitation to a peace table meeting from Hope. Tomorrow 12:00, come waving a white flag or else!!! They decide to go. The “or else” really scares them. KO is practically giddy with anticipation. As far as she is concerned, Hope has invited her over.

It’s 12:00. The Frats have attached a white t-shirt to a trekking pole and cautiously creep out the front door making KO go first. KO for her part has decided to wear a football helmet and shin guards. She wishes she had some goalie gloves. Waving the flag, they walk over to Hope’s house. They find the garage door up with Hope sitting at a table inside with three empty chairs in front of her for them. They whisper among themselves. They are not too keen on going into the garage. It could be a trap. Hope could press the garage door transmitter trapping them in there and then do heaven knows what to them. Really. The woman is capable of anything. She could pluck them all apart just like the Flying Monkeys did to the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. They ask to see Hope’s hands out on the table palms up. She rolls her eyes but complies and they walk in. KO takes the seat in the middle (smiling like a kid in a candy shop) placing a potted Dahlia on the table.

“Hi Hope. Fancy meeting you here. I have missed your smiling face peeking over the fence.” Yep, KO is trying some of what she believes to be the “O’Hara charm” on Hope. She is also poking a tiger with a stick. The Daddies just want KO to shut up and agree to whatever the Bitch Queen wants. Hope shoots a disgusted look at KO but she does think the Dahlia is a nice touch. She doesn’t tell KO that. That would only encourage her. Hope is very sure that that would not be a good thing.

“We are here,” Hope begins “because we seem to have a little problem getting along.”

“WE?” KO states. The Daddies cringe. Hope is going to smite them for sure.

All of the sudden everyone is shouting out grievances. Blocked driveways, beer can missiles, ruined flower beds, flying apples, loud late parties, periscope spying, crowing roosters, water balloon attacks, egg mortars, stolen gear, wet mop thuggery (Hope laughs when the Frats yells this. It was the thing she enjoyed the most), trespassing, hay fields growing in front yards.

Hope stands and screams, “Enough, clearly it has been an eye for an eye.” 

The Frats pipe down and shrink back from the table just a bit. And begin to worry about their eyes. Hope is holding a ball point pen after all.

They hammer out an accord. Covers party time, quiet time, and a demo on how to park cars so they do not block Hope’s driveway, a mowing schedule, Hope will get rid of her rooster. Give and take on each side. Well, mostly give by the Frats and take by Hope.

At the conclusion of the meeting while Hope is ushering the Frats out of the garage KO suggests that maybe they should all dine together to celebrate their new peace accord. The Daddies about faint. Hope is gapping at KO. She quickly recovers and slaps on her patented death glare and presses a button on a fob hanging out of her pants pocket. The garage door descends separating the two parties. The Frats look at each other. That whole Hope trapping them in the garage and killing them scenario wasn’t so far-fetched after all.


	5. A Change Is Blowing In The Wind (It’s KO Blowing In Hope’s Ear)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Britter. So she doesn’t have to worry.  
> Now I am off to watch some soccer.  
> Sky Blue of course.  
> There will be plenty of Frats just no KO :( 

Over time things happen. Not bad things believe it or not. KO shows up at Hope’s door with a long extension cord to “borrow” some electricity. The traveling Frats are young and never got around to figuring out auto bill pay and what not. Hope helps them out. Hope picks up their mail when they are out of town and keeps an eye on their house. KO helps Hope garden or mows her yard. Hope had a dead pine tree in her backyard and KO recruited some of her teammates to come over and help cut it down but only after Hope studied her Home Owners Insurance for Death by Tree clauses. Hope does some light maintenance on the Frat house, fixes leaky faucets, unclogs a drain, and patches a drywall hole. Hope still hasn’t gotten a straight story on how that happened. Hope offers lunch/dinner a few times when KO has been over helping. KO pays her back by taking her to dinner. 

Dinner is at the locale pizza place because KO doesn’t know any better. KO also drove. Her car is pig sty and smells like old gym socks. Hope suggests that next time KO is going to drive a date somewhere she might want to clean it out.

“A date? A date? This is a date,” KO asks?

Hope is mortified. “Well no.” she says. “I am just giving you a heads up for any future dates.”

“For our future dates,” KO asks?

“Uuummm…,”Hope stammers.

KO declares “No, this is a date, and you said so. No take backs.” She then jumps up and runs to the cashier to pay up effectively winning that argument.

Hope just wishes KO would stop humming and grinning. It’s like she is gloating.

It’s getting clear to all of KO’s friends that KO’s life is becoming sleep, soccer, Hope. Rinse and repeat. They try teasing her about it but KO likes the teasing. Hope does not seem to pick up on the sleep, soccer, Hope. Might be because her life has become sleep, work, KO.

Carli and Hope are having lunch again. Hope has again been talking non-stop about the Frats but it is different now. The stories no longer have an edge to them and both houses have been helping each other out. Hope now says KO this and KO that. She doesn’t even seem to realize it. Hope has begun to chat about soccer to her co-workers.

During the lunch Carli notices that Hope cannot take her eyes off her phone and jumps on it every time it signals a text has come. Hope then hurriedly punches out a reply while snickering to herself. Carli thinks she knows who it is Hope is texting. 

Carli asks Hope if they are still meeting up at the gym later.

“No.” Hope replies, “I need to go buy a large trash can and did you happen to bring that large beach ball you have?”

“Hope, I brought it but what do you need it for and the trash can?”

“Beach party beer pong of course,” Hope tosses out making it seem like a normal thing.

“Where are you going to be playing beach party beer pong?”

Hope freezes. “Oh, there is a charity thing. I thought I would practice up.”

“What charity has beach party beer pong?”

“Oh, it’s a new one. I don’t remember their name.”

What Hope really doesn’t remember is that Hope had told Carli all about the Frats playing beach party beer pong when they were still at war. Carli grunts out, “Ok if that’s what you want to stick with.”

Then Hope remembers the tickets KO gave her.

“Carli, what are you doing Saturday evening?”

“Nothing at the moment. Why?”

“KO gave me some tickets for their game this weekend. It’s kind of an important game. If they win it then they are in the league championship play off. Do you want to go with me?”

Carli would not miss this for the world. They make plans to meet up. Carli picks up Hope who just happens to be decked out in an O’Hara jersey. She is gone, Carli thinks. The match is exciting. Hope screams wildly the whole time and seems to be unaware that all of her shouting is directed at KO. KO for her part keeps scanning the stands. Once she spies Hope she breaks out in the biggest smile Carli thinks she has ever seen. KO shoots Hope a double thumbs up and Hope shoots one right back. Sky Blue wins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what will happen after the game?


	6. Staring Down A Charging Bull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carli is a traitor.

They hang out after the game. Hope wants to talk to KO. KO steadily works the crowd in a direction that will lead her to Hope. One of the Daddies happens to walk in front of Carli and Hope so Hope shouts out a greeting. The poor Daddy actually flinches and scurries away as fast as her legs will carry her. The fans finally thin out and they can talk with KO.

“Glad you came,” beams KO. “Wow, you are wearing my jersey.”

Hope replies that it is only fitting that she reps for her favorite Frat house at the game (totaling glossing over that is KO’s jersey and not one of the generic one she could have bought).

KO then asks if they would like to meet up with the team at the bar to celebrate.

Hope says “no.”

Carli says “yes.”

Hope hits Carli with her death glare. It has no effect on her as she has been hit with it so many times she has built up a resistance to it. 

KO yells, “Great. See you there in 20 minutes” and runs away before Hope can decline again.

Hope looks at Carli. “Well thanks a lot.”

“You’re welcome,” Carli replies in a sing song voice.

Hope and Carli are sitting at the bar each with a beer when the team starts to show up. KO makes a bee line for them. She drags them over to a couple of large tables the team has commandeered and slid together. KO makes the introductions. It is evident that KO has been talking about Hope to her teammates by some of the comments they make. Carli thinks KO must be running off at the mouth about Hope just like Hope has been running off at the mouth about KO. 

KO drags them over to the dart board and quickly rounds up a friend so they can challenge Carli and Hope to a match. Hope surprises KO by soundly beating them three games in a row. The night is now winding down and many have left. Hope says it’s time for them to leave and Carli agrees.

KO pipes up, “I can drive Hope home.”

Hope declines and says, “Carli is already planning too.”

Carli speaks up. “KO that would be great. I really appreciate it,” and then shoots out the door as fast as she can.

Hope smiles weakly at KO and they make their way to KO’s car. KO is nearly skipping. KO unlocks and opens the door for Hope. Hope gets in. The first thing she notices is the car now smells of pine instead of gym socks. She takes a look around. No trash or various pieces of sporting gear are to be seen. Hope smiles to herself. They don’t talk much during the drive. KO sings (badly) along with the radio here and there. They pull up in front of Frat house. Hope exits the car just as KO is making a mad dash over to the passenger door. KO looks a little disappointed. 

Hope hits the side walk and starts walking to her house and calls out “Good night, I had a good time” over her shoulder. She hears feet pounding the pavement and KO catches up with her. “I am going to walk you to your door,” she declares. 

It is a short walk but KO manages to get in little conversations about the fire flies flitting around, the crickets chirping, and the size of the moon. Hope slips her key in the door unlocking it and then turns the knob opening it and starts to step inside. “Wait,” KO says while placing her hand on top of Hopes arm. Hope shoots her a side eye. KO looks a bit like she is staring down a charging bull and then she gets a look on her face that seems to say the hell with it. Stepping forward and extending up on her tip toes KO plants a kiss on Hopes cheek. KO makes a quick getaway, running across the yard screaming, “Good night and this is a second date” over her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up. Hope sees what KO’s got. (I Wonder what that could mean?)


	7. It’s All A Matter Of Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes Jen, I updated my profile. You were right, it wasn’t very honest. I kept the first part but then gave the unvarnished truth.
> 
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> A run and a chat causes Hope to have more appreciative eyes.

KO has been spying on Hope. How does Hope keep herself in such good shape? Hope could be mistaken for an athlete. KO knows Hope goes to the gym but suspects there is more to it. Hope can each as much as she and her teammates. Normal women cannot eat like that without gaining weight. Hope has to be doing something to burn calories at a fast pace. Straggling home one morning after an all-night movie night with the team. KO is just pulling onto their street when she sees Hope taking off for a run. Hope gets up and runs at 5:00 a.m.? That is just pure crazy which is just like Hope. 

Kelley takes to sleeping on the couch and setting her alarm for 5:00 a.m. And every morning like clockwork there goes Hope. Kelley finds out that run time on the weekends is 7:00 a.m. Kelley makes a vow to go out running with Hope but she cannot do it on the weekends due to her games. Oh Lord, she thinks. I am going to run at 5:00 a.m., just shoot me now. 

Kelley goes to bed in her running clothes and sets her alarm for 4:50 a.m. The alarm sounds. Kelley sits bolt upright and swings her legs out of bed. She is on a mission. It takes her three tries to tie her shoes and then she barrels out the door nearly running Hope over.

Hope lets out a little gasp of surprise and blurts out, “what are you doing here?”

“Well I live here Hope and I just happen to be going out for a run this fine morning.”

Hope looks at her skeptically. KO’s clothes are all wrinkled, looks like she slept in them. And that messy bun hairdo looks like a holdover from yesterday. Hair is wildly shooting out in all sorts of directions. And yep, she is wearing two different shoes. 

“Fancy shoes you got there KO.”

Kelley looks at her feet. Crap. “Glad you noticed Hope. I’m starting a new fad.”

Hope snorts as a reply and starts to jog off. KO falls into place beside her. “All right,” Hope thinks, “I am going to see what the girls got.” Hope leads them to the hardest route she runs. One that is nearly all uphill for three quarters of the way. Hope maintains a fast pace. It is not long before they are both huffing and puffing. She steals side glances at KO. She looks a little pale. Hope knows that KO usually sleeps until late in the morning or even noon after game days and she probably just got out of bed to intercept me without eating anything. Hope takes pity on her and pulls up to a stop outside a café.

“I sometimes stop here and get a coffee and maybe a muffin or something. Would you like to do that” Hope asks KO?

“Well Hope, if you need a rest break I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” KO allows.

Hope just shakes her head and opens the door for her. They both get a coffee and a muffin and then sit outside. They eat quietly, each lost in their own thoughts when KO suddenly perks up.

“I got called up Hope,” KO excitedly blurts out. “I got called up to the National Team. I leave for camp in three weeks to prepare for a friendly with Costa Rica.” Hope is not sure exactly what this means but she knows it is good news. KO has talked about making the National Team now and then as they gardened together or when Hope has helped fix something at Frat house. As they walk back KO explains what camp is and what a friendly is. 

“But where does all this lead KO,” Hope asks?

KO goes on to tell her about becoming an allocated player and the pay structure. If all goes well, she can become a fixture on the team and eventually play in the World Cup and the Olympics over the next two years. With that type of recognition, she can then get endorsements. Paying endorsements. Hope has seen KO’s face on the side of city buses, in newspaper ads, and even on a billboard or two. KO told her that she did all of that for free (the whole team does) as a promotion to sell more game tickets. The National Team was a completely different ball park. 

While KO chats on, Hope realizes something. She has always thought that KO was just playing a game and eventually she would grow up and get a real job. After all, she does have a college degree and a good one at that. Now Hope understands that this is not a game. It’s an actual career, KO’s career. It’s KO’s job and she just got a promotion with good prospects of another one just around the corner. She has no doubts KO can do it if she sets her sights on it. Hope now sees KO with new eyes. More appreciative eyes. Hope feels a shift somewhere in the back of her mind.

This time Hope walks KO to her door. On the front porch Hope reaches out and clasps KO’s shoulder.

“I am so proud of you KO. I know you can do it. I believe in you.” 

Hope pulls KO into a hug. KO’s head nestles just so into the crook of Hopes neck. KO is like a perfect fit. They stand there like that for a minute and then Hope kisses KO on top of her head. 

“KO, I’ve got to go. I am already late for work.” 

They pull apart. Hope looks into KO’s face. The girl just exudes happiness. Hope is sure that if you were to look up happiness in the dictionary you would find a picture of KO. Hope gives KO’s shoulder a squeeze again and says she is really happy for her and so proud of her and then walks away. She doesn’t look back. She is afraid she might turn right back around. 

KO for her part floats across the living room and down the hall to her bedroom. She launches herself at her bed and as she bounces a couple of times while staring at the ceiling she hears Hope’s voice again, “I’m proud of you.” She then drifts off to sleep with a smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, fire cracker, bottle rocket birthday cakes and Hope concedes a point to Carli.


	8. Oh No, A Fratting She Will Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope wavers a bit and then sucks it up. She made that vow and now she had to honor it.

Carli and Hope are lunching again, or having what Carli has come to think of as the KO News Hour. Hope is giving a blow by blow replay of the “run date.” Carli can hear how proud and impressed Hope is with KO. KO is winning this battle and Hope does not even seem to know it. When Hope finally slows down Carli does what Carli knows needs to happen.

“Hope, KO is serious about you. Do you understand that?”

Hope just stares at Carli with a blank look on her face. 

Then Carli asks the big question. She very softly asks, “Are you serious about her?”

Now Hope looks like a deer in headlights. Her mind is reeling. “Am I serious?”

Carli can hear the gears turning in Hope’s head. They sound like they actually might be grinding. 

“I might be” Hope whispers. Then adds, “but KO is just a girl” to minimize what she has just conceded.

“Hope she is not just a girl. She just turned 25. Have you forgotten the fire cracker and bottle rocket birthday cake? You are very involved with her. They caught a tree on fire and you had to run over there with your hose and put it out. The Fire Department showed up with a hook and ladder truck. You sweet talked them out of arresting the Frats by vowing to be responsible for them.”

“Hope you went on record to the Fire Department as being responsible for KO. You were up until 2:00 a.m. on a work night performing a room by room search of their house to confiscate the rest of their stash. You just told me you wake up in the middle of the night when you hear a loud bang to see if they set anything else on fire.”

“And Hope, it seems like KO is really working hard to fit your needs. What are you doing to meet her needs besides keeping her from being arrested?”

Hope starts to recount to herself everything that has occurred over the past couple of months. All the things KO does now and all of the things she used to do but no longer does. All the things KO does that she had no interest in but worked up an interest just to please Hope. KO comes over and hangs out and does what Hope wants to do. Hope just shows up over at Frat house to fix the leaky faucet, unclog the drain, or patch the drywall and then leaves. She never hangs out. And worse, KO has asked her to. Even when the Frats have a cook out KO will show up at her door holding two plates of food and eats with her before returning to the Frats party.

“Oh my god,” Hope wails. “I have to go to a Frat party.” Hope makes a silent vow to go to the next one.

“You will survive,” Carli intones.

It’s Saturday late afternoon when Hope notices the steady stream of cars coming down the street. She can hear car doors slamming shut. Damn, it’s a Frat party. She waits about 20 minutes and steps out on to her back deck and listens. She hears plenty of whooping and hollering, and good nature taunts flying back and forth. 

Hope had prayed this day would be one of their calmer cook out type gatherings but nope, todays is full Frat behavior. Hope gets her periscope out and spies over the fence. Ok, not too bad. They have their beach party beer pong game out and several of them are playing with hula hoops. I can do this she thinks. That is until she looks to the left. 

The Frats have what looks to be sheet of plastic 80 feet long and 5 foot wide stretched out on the ground with a garden hose trained on it. It is essentially a ginormous slip and slide. She then really starts to notice their attire, all have on shorts of various types and a bikini top. Why now?

Hope wants to chicken out but knows she can’t do that. It wouldn’t be fair to KO even though KO has no idea of the vow she made. And to beat it all, Hope knows KO is the one that concocted the damn slip and slide. 

Hope goes inside and changes into her bikini top and a pair of shorts. Oh god, can I do this. They all seem to be at least 5 years younger than me. She looks at herself in her full length mirror. Damn I look good. I got this. She then picks up her phone and starts texting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9 tickler. KO got so excited she forgot she was on date #3. The Daddies, who were laying on the couch half asleep nearly had heart attacks.


	9. Where Is My Bikini Top

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cranking up the Rom in the Rom-com just a notch. Hope takes her own step forward.
> 
>  
> 
> Wait till you hear KO screaming at the end.

Bitch Queen: Hey it looks like you have quite the party going on over there.

Frat King: Yep, the Annual Summerfest Extravaganza.

Bitch Queen: Mind if I crash your party?

Frat King: Well, I wouldn’t call the Cops on you. Yes, please come over.

Bitch Queen: See you in 5.

Frat King: Be ready for water games and beach party beer pong.

Bitch Queen: Yes, I know.

Frat King: Have you been spying again?

Bitch Queen: You know it. On my way. 

Hope didn’t even have to knock on the door. KO was throwing it open the minute Hope stepped on the porch. KO ushered her into the house and out to the backyard. KO escorted her around, introducing her. Hope had already met many of them at the bar after the soccer game. KO was almost preening.

“Hope,” KO drawled. “We have to get you a beer.” Hope started walking over to the beer keg.

“Nope Hope, your beer is in the kitchen.” Hope was confused but followed KO into the kitchen. KO opens the fridge and pulled out a Dog Fish 60 Minute.

“I don’t understand KO.”

“Hope, I know you don’t care for the beer we drink so I bought this 6 pack weeks ago and put it in the fridge. Everyone knows not to drink it. It’s Hope’s beer. I have been saving it for when you came over.” 

All Hope could think was, “geeze KO, just rip my heart out.” 

They went back outside to the beach party beer pong and KO called next game with Hope for my partner. 10 minutes later it was their turn. They soundly beat the winners. Hope was glad for all that secret practicing she was doing in her garage. It was like she knew this was inevitable. 

They then beat the next challengers. KO was thrilled. KO, slightly tipsy, threw her arm around Hope’s shoulders. “I knew my girl would be a beast at this,” KO loudly exclaimed. 

Hope’s head snapped up. “Did that really just come out of KO’s mouth?” She felt herself turning red. She looked around and was immediately face to face with the Daddies. Their mouths gapped open. And then they noticed that Hope had turned red from her hair line down to her toes. This was just too good. The Bitch Queen was dumb struck and embarrassed. They both walked past KO slapping her on the back and muttering “way to go Tiger” so that Hope could hear it. 

Thankfully someone sang out, “Foods ready.” 

Everyone filled a plate and sat at the picnic tables and assorted chairs in a large group. While they ate, KO’s friends took turns telling humorous KO stories. Hope understood they were doing this to build KO up and to impress Hope. Hope, although she initially felt awkward at the attention she was glad to see how obvious it was that KO’s friends truly liked KO. It was good to see that. It made her wish she had party crashed earlier. 

Just as Hope was settling in KO jumped up, grabbing Hopes hand and yelled, “slip and slide.” Hope was dragged across the yard. This was the last thing she wanted to do but she knew she had to. They got in line and waited for their turn. KO went first yipping like a puppy all the way down the slide. She then stood at the end shouting encouragement to Hope. 

“Here goes nothing,” Hope thought as she ran towards the plastic and hurled herself on it. Hope slid all the way to the end. KO met her there and excitedly jumped up on her throwing her hands in the air cheering – just like she does to with teammates on the soccer field. 

Hope spun her around a time or two and then set KO down. They trotted back to the end of the line for another turn. While in line Hope felt KO place her hand on the small of Hope’s back. Matter of fact KO had been sneaking in little touches all night. Here and there, nothing overly handsy. More like attentive. Matter of fact, now that Hope thought about it, KO touches her every chance she can sneak in. KO was steadily worming her way past all of Hopes defenses.

After their third run Hope wanted to play with the hula hoops. KO was game. Hope eventually got good enough to keep 4 hoops up. KO, not so much. She was lucky to keep one up and she looked like someone having a seizure while she did it. But, KO was laughing all the time and didn’t seem to care. By then, people were clearing out. Hope stayed to help clean up. Soon, only KO and Hope were in the yard.

“Hope, I hope you enjoyed our third date.”

“Oh really, third date is it? Keeping track are you?”

“Yep. Hey Hope, how about a couple more runs down the slip and slide before we call it a night?”

Hope was game.

Soon they were challenging each other to see who could get the most rotations while sliding or hold the weirdest pose. Finally Hope was getting cold and she notice KO’s teeth chattering.

“Last run KO. Let’s make this a race. We both slide at the same time.”

“You are on Hope. Get ready to lose.”

They both took off running to the edge of the plastic. Hope gave KO a little nudge to slow her down. KO got even by hurling herself into Hope as they hit the slide. They started spinning. 

It was all arms and legs flailing around everywhere. At some point, Hope felt a tug on the back of her neck. At the end of the slide they came to a stop with KO on her back and Hope on her stomach both laughing.  
Hope raised up on her arms. All of sudden KO wasn’t laughing anymore. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were big as saucers. Hope looked down to see what KO was staring at. Her bikini top was missing. Hope shrieked. KO was gulping air like a fish out of water.

“Where’s my top?” Hope demanded.

“I don’t know,” said KO. This was soon followed by an, “OH SHIT.”

Hope followed KO’s gaze. There was Hope’s top, wrapped around KO’s leg.

“You took my top off with your leg?”

“No, it wasn’t like that. I don’t know how it happened. It wasn’t on purpose. Please believe me Hope.”

Hope looked at KO. Her lower lip was trembling and she looked crestfallen, her wonderful night ruined by a slip and slide faux pa. Hope’s heart went out to her.

“It’s all right KO, I know it was an accident. Everything’s ok. Could you hand me my top?”

KO unwrapped Hope’s top from her leg and handed over to Hope. She still looked nervous.

“KO can you turn around while I put my top on? You have had all the free show you are getting for the night Buster.”

KO broke out one of her patented big smiles and turned around giggling while Hope put her top back on.

KO walked Hope home. As they walked up Hope’s drive. Hope turned to KO and asked her what she was doing next Saturday.

“Nothing, my games on Friday this week.”

“I know, said Hope. “I was wondering if you would care to go out with me. I thought we could take in a movie and then grab a bite to eat since you will still be tired from your game. I could pick you up 6:30.”

“Really? Yes, I’d love to. Great.” 

KO was so excited she forgot she was walking Hope home from their third date. She ran to Frat house slamming open the door and then slamming it shut after herself. The Daddies who were laying on the couch half asleep nearly had heart attacks. One fell off the couch onto the floor. KO proceed to bellow at the top of her lungs, “I have a real date with Hope Solo on Saturday. She asked ME out. Bitches!!!.” 

Then she ran off to her bedroom already worrying about what she would wear. Meanwhile, Hope was still standing in her driveway and could hear KO’s announcement. She just shook her head and wondered just what exactly it is that she has gotten herself into.


	10. OMG Hope Was Crying

Sorry folks but I am not sure there will an update tonight. I’ll try. I have a really good reason. I had to dash off a quick one shot called, Crying Hope? What Happened? I had to strike while the iron was hot. If something happens to flash upon my twisted little mind I have act quickly or it will be gone. Really. I have more email accounts than some people have socks because I keep forgetting my password. And yes, I know what you are thinking. Why doesn’t she just write it down? I do that. And, then I need a scrap of paper to jot something down and you know it, there’s that little piece of paper with my password written on it right by hand. I think you can see where this tragedy is going.

Anyhoooo, back to my one-shot. It is required reading for all of you. There will be a test. I will not be accepting any “Please Excuse” notes from your Mom to get you out of it.

Now, class is dismissed.

 

P.S.  
there really was a Crying Hope all over the internet yesterday. i really was alarmed and clicked all over the place to try and find out why. people were threatening to take up arms against the cause of her tears. hope and ella really have published exposes on the NWSL. and, the rest of my story? i will not be admitting to what may or may not have occurred. 

P.S.S  
if i am testing your patients, sorry.

P.S.S.S  
i typed patients and thought of patience and sarah. that really is a book. it is sweet and tender. sweet and tender. fried green tomatoes, now that was sweet. oh how I crushed on the bee charmer. and then frank bennett showed up to terrorize them. i never wanted to be super woman more than I did while reading that. i’d take care of him. maybe i am more of a wonder girl? no. i should be robinette. batman will have to agree. that last time he and I talked he was a little chilly to me. batman….. cat woman. eartha kitt! in a black leather cat suit. 

P.S.S.S.S.  
clearly I must now move so you all cannot track me down and kick my scrawny ass. damn, i like ohio. did I say ohio? I meant idaho. now I am thinking about demi moore. not the current demi moore. The demi moore that existed before she found out she was demi moore. i liked her bunches back then. when she lived in idaho. where I currently live. now I am thinking about her movie ghost. now patrick swazye. now i’m sad, he died way too soon. he was also in the movie to wong foo thanks for everything, julie newmar. julie newmar played cat woman. cat woman! eartha kitt. black leather cat suits. i. i. i. gotta go.

P.S.S.S.S.  
the struggle to stay on task is real. maybe I need an assistant. a gal friday you might say. gal friday, gal friday……..she….they….it… crap. deeper down the rabbit hole i go.


	11. KO News Hour:  Breaking News

Hope was having brunch that Sunday with Carli who was receiving the latest edition of the KO News Hour. She could not believe what she was hearing. She made Hope repeat parts several times. In the span of only a few hours, up tight, type A Hope, with a mild case of OCD had –

1\. Attended Frat House Annual Summerfest Extravaganza nearly wearing a complete bikini among strangers.  
2\. Played beach party beer pong.  
3\. Not only swung hula hoops around her waist but worked herself up to handling 4 of them.  
4\. Had flung herself down a ginormous slip and slide while somehow losing her bikini top  
5\. AND…… nobody died.

“Hope, are you ill or have you suffered any blows to the head lately?”

“No. Why would you ask that?”

“Because, I do not know of any other way to explain what has transpired.”

“Well Carli, when you put it that way I can kind of see your point. But I’ll tell you one thing. I had fun. And I will point out that you told me to do things she likes, turns out I liked them also. Who knew? I also asked her out on a real official date next Saturday. The cliché movie and dinner.” 

Carli, looking a little bugged eyed asked what the itinerary would be.

Hope hesitated. She didn’t really want to say but Carli would keep at her until she told so she told. “I am taking her to see When Zombies Attack and then to Dave and Busters for dinner.”

Carli choked on her water. 

Hope sat back, crossed her arms across her chest and fixed a cold stare at Carli. “May I remind you again that you said to do things she would be interested in. I saw the Frats stumbling around in their backyard acting like zombies chasing each other. They also constantly play video games. I am following your suggestion to the T.”

“But Hope, zombies and Donkey Kong or whatever it is they play?”

Hope stood up, said “you’re paying.” She then threw her napkin on the table and strode out of the restaurant. She could hear Carli’s laughter ringing in her ears.

Driving down the road, Hope pulled over and pulled out her phone. She dashed off a quick text to Carli.

From Hope: I forgive you.

From Carli: I forgive me too. And you are calling me after this date. Don’t make me come over there.

Hope muttered fuck you Carli and tossed her phone onto the seat and drove off – with a smile on her face.

Saturday came and Hope had been stumped as to what to wear earlier in the week. The people there would be a younger crowd. She decided on her low slung skinny black jeans, a white button down with gray stripes and not tucked in. She hated not tucking. Her one purchase to complete her outfit was a white pair of Chucks, low tops. She had thought ever so briefly about a snapback but was confused about all of the sayings and logos on them. She decided to forgo the hat and put her hair up in a messy bun. 

Hope was beginning to color way outside of her lines here.


	12. My Girlfriend The Zombie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope develops a new taste sensation.

She knocked on KO’s door and it immediately swung open. KO obviously was not one to put on the coy act Hope thought. It was actually kind of refreshing. KO stood there in a black snapback (who knows what it said since she was wearing it backwards), a Mighty Mouse t-shirt (Hope vows to not tell Carli about the t-shirt), gray skinny jeans with holes strategically ripped in them, and a smile as wide as the ocean. Her outfit was completed with a funky pair of sandals with finger and toe nails painted scarlet red. This surprised Hope.

“KO, you look so cute (she almost said adorable). Are you ready to go?”

“Hope, you look amazing. Chucks, what a surprise. Let’s go.”

Hope helped KO into the car, made sure her seatbelt was on, and took off. 

“What are we seeing?” KO asked.

“Attack of the Zombies.” 

KO screamed, “YYEEESSS.” Hope nearly swerved and hit a light pole. “We tried to see that last week when it came out but we couldn’t get in. It was always sold out.”

“Well, I went on-line last week and bought tickets for today. So you can lord it over the Daddies that you have seen it.”

“Hope that is so like you. You are a planner. A detailed planner. You get things done.”

“KO, I have to say I have become more of a fan of spontaneity recently. It’s very freeing and sometimes you find yourself getting to experience things you never would have if you just followed the plan, not allowing for detours.”

“Hope if the world was left up to us free wheelers absolute chaos would rein. Nothing would get done. We’d starve to death in a half finished houses with no heat or plumbing. But I get what you’re saying. Maybe both types just need to work together. Have a plan but don’t rigidly adhere to it. Just see what develops along the way and take a side chute now and then to see what’s out there.”

Hope is inside her head. I think we just had a moment.

KO is staring idly out the window seemingly without a care in the world. Inside she thinks that they just had their first moment.

Entering the theater they first go to the concession stand. They buy drinks and a large tub of popcorn. KO wants extra butter. Hope puts her foot down at that but then suggest some Skittles. KO is all up for that trade off. Hope knows darn well that not a single Skittle will be passing her lips. 

KO wants to sit down front. Hope wants to sit in the back. They compromise and sit in the middle with Hope getting her cherished aisle seat. During the movie Hope begins to notice KO reacting oddly to the movie. 

KO seems to be cheering for the zombies. Hope watches her. KO IS cheering for the zombies. She just said, “atta boy” when the zombie took out the Banker. At first Hope is appalled. She thinks about it. Of course KO would cheer for the zombies. This makes Hope laugh out loud. KO shoots her a side glance. In the movie, they had just immolated at least 50 zombies with a flame thrower and Hope laughed. She thinks for a minute. Yep, that is so Hope.

Once they leave the theater and hit the Mall KO begins to start walking like a zombie. What the hell. Hope cautiously looks around. Others start doing it. Soon it seems like they are all doing it. Hope sticks her arms out, tilts her head back, walks stiff legged, and starts snapping her teeth. KO cracks up at the sight of Hope being a zombie. They both dissolve into giggles and Hope throws her arm around KO’s shoulders. KO reaches up and takes Hope’s hand while snaking her other arm around Hope’s waist. They both smile shyly to each other.

“KO, we just need to cross the street to get to our next destination. We don’t even have to drive.”

“Are we, are we going to Dave and Busters?”

“Well I can’t hide anything from you can I.”

“I love Dave and Busters.”

“I figured you would.”

KO begins to skip, pulling Hope by her arm. Hope might zombie for KO but she draws the line at skipping. She instead lightly jogs beside her to keep up. Soon they are seated, put in their food order, and are sipping beers. 

“Alright KO, what’s our first order of business game wise?”

“Well, I love to play old fashion pinball games.” 

I’ve got this Hope thinks. She used to kill at pinball. Turns out KO did too. They are pretty evenly matched. After a few games their buzzer goes off to let them know their food is ready. Hope eats fairly quietly while KO keeps up a steady stream of chatter about everything. Hope inserts her observances here and there. 

KO decides their next order of business is air hockey followed by skee ball….. zombie style of course.

The air hockey is a little tough to pull off as a zombie. KO nearly runs the table on Hope. Air hockey is too much like soccer for Hope to keep up with KO. Skee ball is much easier to play as a zombie. Hope has the edge here as she played for 10 years as a pitcher on a slow pitch softball team. 

All in all, they tie for the night. Hope? Well she kept sending her plate back for another serving of spontaneity. She had never tasted anything so savory.

Then it happened…………..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up. Throw down at Dave and Busters.


	13. One Asshole Can Ruin A Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> KO corners Hope in the kitchen.

As they walk back to the car KO begins skipping ahead. Hope just walks slightly behind her. When a large older man appears out of nowhere barreling down the sidewalk right into KO. 

“Watch it,” he snarls and gives KO a shove. 

Hope is on him in a flash, stiff arming him in the chest knocking him backwards a step or two. 

“Why don’t you punks watch where you’re going?” He spits out. 

“You weren’t doing any better old man.” Hope seethes. 

“Why I ought to.” He says. 

“Bring it.” Hope retorts. 

KO cannot believe what is happening. 

Could Hope take him? By the look on her face she has no doubts. And, that man. He is not backing down. He looks like he has been here a time or two before. 

KO steps up to Hope’s side and very gently but firmly she grabs Hope by her arm. “Let’s just leave, he’s not worth it.” She says pleadingly.

Hope looks down at those eyes. A hint of tears in them. Hope gives in and lets KO lead her away. 

They walk back to the car. All the spring that was in their steps has now evaporated. The fullness of hope that had been their night slowly deflating. They get in the car and Hope starts it. They are both upset. Hope figures she has ruined the night. She shuts the car off and begins to talk. 

“That man is so ignorant. He just looked at you, adds up the hat, t-shirt and ripped jeans and decides “loser punk”. He doesn’t know a damn thing about you and how hard you work. That hard work has paid off and you got the call up. You are going to make that roster for the friendly and you are going to take full advantage of that and kick butt. You will get another call up and then an allocation spot. Before you know it, you are going to be on that pitch in Canada helping the U.S. win the World Cup.”

“And, you are going to do this while he sits on his ass watching from his lazy boy while one of his kids or grandkids whine they want your jersey and autograph. And he won’t even know he could have gotten it but he was too much of an ass and decided you were a punk based on not much at all. Hell, his kids are probably wearing the same thing as you.” 

Hope had started off her speech tersely and laden with vehemence but by the time she had finished it became more of a statement of assurance of what KO was going to do.

Wow. KO thinks. Hope has not only been paying attention to what I have been telling her but she believes in me. Truly believes. And she is not going to stand by and just let someone disrespects me. Ok, offering to throw down in the street is a bit much but the guy did push me, stop and snarl at me. He was scary. If I had been by myself I would have been afraid. Hope wasn’t afraid of the man nor is she worried that I won’t make it at camp. To Hope, it was done deal. KO needed to think about this.

Hope restarts the car and they exit out onto the street. Hope looks at KO. She is snuggled back in her seat with a bit of a smile on her face. 

“Penny for you thoughts.” Hope offers.

KO’s smile widens. “That’s a pretty cheap buy but I’ll take it. Hope, I listened to you. No one has ever spoken to me about myself like you just did. Or least a not a person that has nothing to do with soccer. You championed me, you believe in me and I appreciate that. It’s nice to know I have someone in my corner when so much is on the line right now. And you stood up to that man that hit me and was a little frightening. You didn’t hesitate. You might say you’re my knight in shining armor.”

Hope quirks her lips. 

“Does that make you my damsel in distress?”

“According to the story books it does.”

“Fine by me.”

They are sitting at a stop light. KO goes full zombie mode and attacks Hope. Pawing at her while groaning and then, she goes for Hopes neck. Lightly biting on it. Hope can feel KO’s teeth and lips. A shudder goes through her. She doesn’t tell KO to stop. 

But then a horn is blaring at them from the car behind them. The light has turned green. KO gives one last bite and a groan and then flings herself back in the passenger seat. Hope just shakes her head and steps on the gas. How did I wind here with her? Hope reaches over and takes KO’s hand and holds it for the rest of the drive home.

Hope pulls into her driveway. “Night cap?” She asks.

“I’d love to.”

They enter the house and go right to the kitchen. KO is following Hope all around as she retrieves a bottle of wine, glasses, and a cork screw. The drawer with the cork screw in it is by the wall and bounded by the island on one side and the counter on the other. KO has effectively trapped her. 

KO steps towards Hope eroding the distance between them. Her eyes never leave Hope’s then she looks at Hope’s lips and tilts her head in half the distance. Hope doesn’t cover the rest of the distance but she does move in some. KO throws all caution to the wind and closes the gap. The kiss is light and brief. KO pulls back. Hope reaches out to her and pulls her back in. 

After a while they stumble their way into the living room and Hope lowers KO onto the couch and covers KO with her body. Hope knows they can’t end up in the bedroom. KO has too much on her plate right now. She won’t add more to it. 

They just while away time kissing, touching, gazing into each other’s eyes. Eventually KO snuggles down into Hope and they just lay there quietly. After they are on the couch for about an hour. Hope says it’s time for her to get KO home. KO sighs but agrees. She has a big week coming up and does not want to start it off tired.

Hope walks KO to her door and takes her in her arms again.

“I know next week is busy but I’d like to see you before you go. If you can fit me in.”

“I’ll make time for you.” KO assures Hope. “Hope, date number four was wonderful just in case you couldn’t tell.”

One last kiss and hug and then Hope leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter - “Big girl pants.” KO snorted.


	14. She’s Wearing Big Girl Pants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get closer.

Bright and early Sunday morning Carli calls Hope. She wants the latest edition of the KO News Hour. She has become rather addicted to them hopes it will be good news. Hope gives Carli the whole 9 yards. The zombie walk. The zombie air hockey and skee ball. 

Carli is in disbelief. Hope did that. It’s like KO is some kind of “Hope drug”. She makes Hope swear that she did it all those things. Carli believes her. She can hear it in Hopes voice. And then Hope stops talking. Carli can tell that there is more and by the look on Hope’s face. It’s probably not good.

“What is it Hope?” 

Hope lets out a sigh and then proceeds to tell her about the man. The horrible man. The stress in the car. Carli reaches for Hope’s arm. Hope continues to recount the night. Her pro-KO rant. KO’s reaction to it. 

Then Hope smiles. After a beat. Hope tells Carli about KO’s zombie attack on her in the car.

“So, it sounds like it turned out ok. Did you take her home after that?”

“No. We went to my house for a night cap we never did have.”

“Oh yeah?” Carli leans in. She is all ears.

“No. It did not involve my bedroom but we did bump up our knowledge of each other a couple of notches. It was nice and didn’t add any more drama or stress to what KO is dealing with right now before she leaves.”

“Will you get to see her again, before she leaves?”

“I hope so. She is going try and pencil me in. We’ll see. I do not want to pressure her about it. She doesn’t need any more stress added to what she is feeling already.”

“So Hope, it sounds like you really like KO. You are thinking more about her needs rather than your wants. You’re serious now?”

“Yeah Carli. It’s serious.”

“I’m glad. KO sounds like just what you need to shake you up a bit.”

“KO has me pretty much shaken and stirred by now Carli.”

KO called Hope on Tuesday asking if she was available for dinner. It would be a little late though because she had training and some errands to run. She still had some gear to pick up for camp. 

“Sure, why don’t you come over here? I’ll make you that killer salad you like with the roasted chicken.” 

KO was on board for that and showed up about 7:30. They ate on the deck and then just cuddled for a while. One murmuring hopes and fears and the other comforting words. KO constantly jiggled her foot Hope noticed. Nerves. Hope tried to calm them as best she could. She walked KO back home around 10:00.

KO called Hope at work Thursday afternoon. She was asking if she could come over and see Hope at about 8:30 for just an hour. KO was scheduled to leave Friday morning.

Hope said, “That would be great. Let’s play it by ear and see where you are at. If it works out great. If not, I understand.” 

KO arrived and they sat on the couch. KO curled tightly into Hope and Hope just held her. KO’s foot was moving a mile a minute again. Hope just stroked KO’s back and kissed the top of her head. 

“KO, if you need me while you’re at camp just call ok?”

“Thanks Hope.”

“Hope, I won’t totally be on my own at camp. I played with Christen Press at Stanford for three years and I have been texting her. Christen has been really helpful in telling me what I need and what to expect.”

“I’m glad you will have that KO. It makes me feel better knowing you will have someone there to help.” Hope confided.

“And there’s Tobin. I played with her on some of the USWNT Youth teams so I know her pretty well even if we have kind of lost touch. Were almost the same age but she was called up a couple of years ago. I feel a little behind.” KO admitted. “Tobin has played overseas. The competition is a notch up over there. I could have done that but I never did well far from home. I guess it hurt me a bit.”

“KO, it doesn’t matter when you are called up. It’s what you do after you get there that counts.” Hope stressed. “And what do you mean always had to stay close to home? You went to college nearly 3,000 miles away from your family. I am sure you had other opportunities closer to Georgia but you didn’t take them.”

“Hope when I was a kid I could never do sleep overs. The first one was in 4th grade and I got scared and called my Dad had to come pick me up. The same thing happened at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th sleep over. I finally stopped packing for a sleep over and just had my Dad come pick me up later in the evening.” KO admitted.

“KO, you are forgetting that you got over that. You went to college on the opposite side of the continent from your family. You put your “big girl pants” on and never looked back. You got this.”

“Big girl pants.” KO snorted.

“Hey KO, I bought you a little something for you to take with you.”

“Me? A present?”

Hope held out a long slender light blue box. KO knew that it was a Tiffany’s box. She got excited. She opened it up to find a bracelet. Two lengths of chain divided by an oval plate. On the top of the plate the word “Believe” was engraved. On the underside were the words “I do OXO”.

“I just love it Hope. It’s like I get to take a little piece of you with me. When I get scared or worried I can just look at this or touch it and hear your words. It’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” 

Hope looked in KO’s eyes. Those beautiful brown eyes with flecks of gold. They were brimming with tears. “Aww, I didn’t mean to make you upset KO.”

“Hope I’m not upset. I’m happy.”

They again wrapped each other up in their arms and just sat there. At 10:00 Hope said it was time for her to get KO home. Hope walked KO to her door. Saying goodbye was hard but she made sure she made KO laugh before she left her. This was accomplish by Hope zombie walking off the porch and across the yard to her own house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> party on.


	15. Carli, You’re Thinking Small

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They thought the Annual Summerfest Extravaganza was something.

Christen met KO at the hotel door and said they would be rooming together. Christen walked KO down to breakfast the next morning and they sat with Tobin. KO was able to catch up with Tobin and then the three of them got on the bus to go to practice. Christen and Tobin stayed close to KO. Helping her warm up and leading her through some of the drills.

Practice was hard. Everyone was the best of the best. Learning how to work with unknown players on the field wasn’t easy. KO worried about being fit enough to hang with the team. She had to show she could do 90 minutes at full throttle. She needn’t have worried. When the dreaded Beep Test was held KO set a new team record.

She went to practice early, stayed late and volunteered to kick balls on goal for the keepers wanting extra practice. She paid attention in every strategy meeting and took notes. Staying up late at night to review then. It was noticed.

KO also worked at integrating with the team off the pitch. She made sure she talked to everyone, veteran, newbie, or staff every day. She also did the team bonding events. Short day trips, playing board games, movie night, and especially the playing of pranks on each other. KO was well liked and that was noticed also.

Hope was at Frat house pacing like a caged lion. Carli had even gone over with her. The Daddies eyed Hope nervously. Hope was that tense and they knew they didn’t have KO there to calm her down. Today was roster day. KO would know if she had earned her way onto the team. It was her first big hurdle to jump. Hopes phone rang.

“Quiet.” Hope yelled even though no one was making a sound. 

Hope answered her phone and put it one speaker. KO new that this was the way it would be handled. 

“Hi KO, did you hear any news yet?”

“Nope Hope, it’s the same old news.”

“What do you mean same old news.”

“You know how it is Hope once the news is reported, it gets old pretty quick.”

Hope thought she was going to choke on her own tongue. 

“KO did you hear anything about the roster or not?”

“OH, that old piece of news. I made it.”

Everyone in the room sat still. They weren’t sure if KO was still playing with them.

Then KO starts shrieking, “I made it. I made it” over and over again.

Frat house erupts. Everyone was shouting out congratulations to KO. Hope picked up the phone and ran down the hall to KO’s room and shut the door. She told KO how proud she was of her and that she was going to host the party for the friendlies game.

KO could not believe it. The Daddies partying up in Hope’s house. KO wasn’t sure where she wanted to be more. On the pitch during the game or as a fly on Hope’s wall watching her freak out over all the Daddies tromping about and doing who knows what when Hope wasn’t looking. 

KO then cautioned Hope about her expectations. KO would not start and the best she could hope for was a few minutes in the game. Hope replied that those minutes will be the best damn minutes of the game. They talked awhile longer before saying goodbye.

Hope strode out into the Frats living room. 

“The game party is at my house.” She informed them. “Invite the whole team and anybody else you want. I will provide all of the food and beverages so all they have to do is show up. Come on Carli we have stuff to buy.” 

Hope turned to leave. “Oh yeah.” Hope called out to the Daddies. “I am going to need your truck.” They handed her the keys without a word.

Carli was getting a little concerned. “Hope, what are you buying?”

“First we hit the TV store. We need at least an 80 inch high def TV and surround sound installed by Wednesday so we can try it out. Oh, and a camcorder with tripod. Can’t forget that.”

“Hope, why do you need a camcorder?”

“To film everything of course.” Hope replied as though that should have been obvious to anyone.

“Next, Joe’s Rib Shack for the catering. I was thinking ribs, briskets, mac and cheese, the full deal. Cups, plates, utensils, you name it. I want them to bring in a large smoker and make everything on site. I figure I need to buy enough for 50 people. The Frats can have any leftovers.”

“Then we need to arrange for the tents and, tables, and chairs.”

“Then it’s on to the beer distributer to arrange for the kegs. I am thinking two and not that cheap stuff they normally get.”

“Then we need to go to the banner store and arrange to have some printed up. USWNT ones and ones with KO only on them.”

“Ok.” Carli said. Clearly Hope had been planning this in advance of this announcement. “This is really starting to sound expensive. Why the new TV just for one game? Maybe think about renting one.”

“Carli you are thinking small. This isn’t one game, it’s just the first game.”

“But KO won’t even be here. Why go through all of this.”

“Carli she will never be here for any of her games. It’s her first National Team game and if all goes well which I believe it will, her first cap. Even if she doesn’t play it’s still her first game and we will see her warming up and on the side lines. She needs to know we were here pulling for her no matter what. Team KO.”

“So, why do we need a truck? Sounds like all of this will be delivered or fit in your car.”

”Because I haven’t gotten to part about buying the couch yet or the dozen bean bag chairs. Also we need at least 4 corn hole games and two beer pong set ups. These guys like to do that. This should be just like KO would have.”

Carli’s eye brows had shot to her hair line. “The couches and bean bag chairs won’t even fit in your living room.” 

“Yes they will Carli. I have already sketched it out on graph paper. All we need to do it is move out the large chair. We can put it in the den. “The den. We need a TV for that also.”

“Why can’t you put your current TV there?”

“Because it’s going outside in the party tent.”

Carli is on the verge of having a meltdown. The Daddies, who have been listening to this whole exchange are getting more excited by the minute. They thought the Annual Summerfest Extravaganza was something. Hope’s shindig was going to blow that out of the water.

Carli meekly followed Hope out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flying beanbag chairs.


	16. She Fell Off The Cliff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre-party prep (say that 5 times fast).

When they bought the camcorder they also bought two batteries and a rapid charger. Hope started charging it in the car. By the time they arrived at Joe’s Rib Shack the recorder was ready to go. Hope had Carli film the smoker and Hope taste testing the food and Hope interviewing the grill master that would be manning the smoker at the party. The guy was a total ham. It was hilarious. 

This whole process was repeated at every stop they made. Hope constantly mugged for the camera and made silly jokes. They requested a beer tasting at the distributers. Carli may have been a little to gung ho there. They filmed Hope trotting around with a dolly and a beer keg loaded on it with workers chasing her like she had stolen it.

Carli could only just stand back and watch Hope in awe. She was really putting herself out there for OK. Carli had never seen this side of Hope before. Maybe it had never existed. It was the new and improved Hope that grew where the old Hope used to be once KO showed up in her life.

The last stop was at the furniture store. Hope strode in, grabbed the first salesperson she saw and said she wanted the largest couch they had, preferably brown as there was going to be a lot of spilling on it and a dozen bean bag chairs. The bean bag chairs could be in assorted colors but she would prefer red, white, and blue. They couldn’t write this sale up fast enough. The easiest sale ever in the history of the store. Hope told them she would pull her truck up to the loading dock out back. 

The guys helped Carli and Hope load the couch on the truck. The bean bag chairs were next. There were too many of them to fit if left in their boxes so they unboxed them all. Hope handed the camera off to one of the dock guys and told Carli to get in the bed of the truck. Hope would toss the chairs to Carli who would then jam them down into the truck bed. 

Hope tossed bean bags left and right. It was practically an assault on Carli. Carli got knocked about and even fell over a couple of time. She spewed venom laced strings of obscenities at Hope. All caught on camera. KO was going to eat this up. Hope was happy. Carli was pissed. Well, that’s what best friends were for. 

Game day arrived. Hope had Carli and the Daddies coming over at 8:00. The game started at Noon. Carli walked in the door first with the Daddies right behind her. Carli was hit in the face with something.

“What is this?”

“Put it on.”

“What is it?”

“It’s KO’s jersey. You’re going to rep for our girl right?”

Carli’s eyebrow immediately hit her hair line once again. Hope had said “our girl”. Carli had just wanted Hope to date. Dance around the edges of romance, live a little, loosen up. Now there was an “Our Girl”. Hope had not only danced right up to the edge of romance. She had fallen off the cliff. Carli pulled the jersey on. Hope tossed one to each of the Daddies also.

Hope grabbed the camera and handed off to one of the Daddies and headed out front with a very large banner tucked under her arm. They unfurled it. It was 20 feet long and 8 foot wide. It had 3 lines printed on it.

USWNT Party Head Quarters, followed by the next line centered under it, #5 Kelley O’ Hara #5, and then KO’s picture under that. Hope headed up the extension ladder on the left. In her haste she did not make sure it was stable. When she was 3 feet off the ground the ladder slid down the face of the house unceremoniously dumping Hope on the ground where she performed a flawless face plant. This would turn out to be KO’s favorite part. They started again and got it hung. 

They moved to the living room and hung 3 banners. The kitchen and the back yard each got one banner. At this point Carli was sent off in the truck to buy 300 pounds of ice. The Daddies ran back to frat house to get their TV. Hope had forgot to get one for the kitchen. Now all of the rooms had one. 

The Daddies were then directed to set up the tables and chairs in the back yard. The large party tent had been set up the night before. The Grill Master and the grill had sent up in the driveway the prior night also so. The air was rich with the scent of BBQ. It was like tailgating central.

Carli returned with the ice. The kegs were put on ice and tapped. At that point the Daddies started nipping into the beer when Hope wasn’t looking. The also circled around the smoker like vultures trying to beg for scraps. They were as bad as KO.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up - the party.


	17. Deranged Albatross Taking Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope knew it was wrong.

People started arriving at 11:30 when the pregame started. KO’s teammates all wore their Sky Blue jerseys. A loud cheer went up when KO was spotted in the background of the shot several times warming up. She seemed to be unaware. Good, she was focusing on business. It was then that Hope noticed KO’s wrist.

Hope shot out of her seat pointing at the TV. Everyone stared at her. It took her a second to speak. “Her wrist. Her wrist. What is wrong with her wrist? Why didn’t she tell me she was hurt?” Hope was getting upset.

Finally a Daddy spoke up and said that KO had to tape it.

“Why?” Hope demanded. “You knew about this and didn’t tell me?”

Right about then the Daddy wanted to crawl under a rock. She sputtered, “It’s required.”

“How is tapping you wrist required? Nobody else is. Tell me again why it is taped? And I want the truth.”

“That is the truth if she wants to wear it.”

“Wear what?”

“Your bracelet?”

“Why would KO have to tape her wrist because I gave her a bracelet?” Hope starts walking towards the Daddy.

“You didn’t hear me. It’s not because you gave her the bracelet. She wants to “wear” the bracelet during the game. She doesn’t want to take it off so she has to cover it with tape. It’s the rules.”

Hope’s face is blank and then she gets it. She remembers KO saying she has it on at all the times. It helps her feel strong. She never said anything about taping it. 

“Ok, thanks for the explanation,” Hope says weakly and plops back down on the couch. 

Hope doesn’t realize it at the time but this also is caught by the camera she had set up in the corner taping everyone.

The game got under way. Unbelievably Costa Rica was making it a game. They were defending their goal and harassing the U.S. goal consistently. This was a game and not the blow out that had been expected. At one point the camera crew had panned down the sidelines and they had stopped at KO. There she was in all her glory. Maniacally flapping her arms around while she jumped up and down making the oddest faces. She looked like some sort of deranged Albatross trying to flap its wings and take flight. Another time it looked like KO was having another one of those hula hoop seizures. In another shot she was back pedaling down the sideline yelling at one of her teammates on the field who had the ball not more than 3 feet from her. KO tripped over her own feet did a backwards summersault and landed on her feet and just kept going. 

The camera crew loved her. Every time there was a lull in the action or the ball was anywhere near KO, they filmed her and she didn’t disappoint the cameras. After half time they came back on the field and music was playing over the sound system. And there was KO on the side lines shaking her booty. She was a sideline star. 

But that is not why she was there. Hope was getting worried.

During half time at the house Hope was strolling around with the camera filming everything. She wanted KO to be able to watch it and feel like she was there. Hoped filmed the smoker crew, the corn hole contestants. Someone (Hope suspected it was one of the Daddies) had placed large pictures of KO over the holes in the game so it looked like you were tossing bean bags into KO’s mouth. 

Hope even made it seem like the camera was pitching some balls at the beer pong tables. Two people mooned the camera. And several recited off color limericks to it. Hope returned the camera to the tripod in the corner of the living room and settled back in her seat for the second half. Of course she had a front and center seat.

Costa Rica was still playing tough. The score 0-0. The longer this remained that way the less likely KO would play. But KO was hanging in there. Loudly supporting her teammates the entire time. No sulking in the seats for KO. It was extremely hot in the stadium. The on-pitch temperature was reported at 110 degrees. Hope notice the U.S. Right Side Back was constantly stopping to stretch her calf. That was KO’s position. 

Hope knew it was wrong but she crossed her fingers after wishing the Back had to come out. This went on for several minutes. Finally Hope saw the sideline staff pointing at KO. And then KO was pointing at KO. Hope could see her lips move. It looked like she was saying, “Who me?” They waved her over. At the 70 minute mark KO was being sent into the game. She was getting 20 minutes, a lot more than she had hoped for. Hopes house was in total pandemonium. Chants of KO were shouted out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up - Hope and Carli have a little talk.


	18. Sideline Star To Mighty Mouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hold on there Carli. It’s a bit early to be talking about love.”

KO was standing on the sideline waiting to be waved in. She looked a little pale. Hope thought she looked nervous. Then Hope saw it. KO reached over with her hand and rubbed her wrist where the taped bracelet was. Carli saw it too. She patted Hope on the leg and said, “KO is going to be just fine.” Hope just shook her head yes. Then KO was being waved in. She was still rubbing her wrist. She raised her arms smacked the tape and then charged onto the field with a fierce look on her face. 

KO sprang into action right off the bat. She had fresh legs and it showed. She ruled her side. Challenging everybody that came near her. She stole balls and made several clutch tackles down by the U.S. goal stopping what looked like very threatening chances for the Costa Rican team. The stadium cheered for KO. The announcers shouted her name repeatedly. The house went bonkers. KO was all over the place. It seemed like there were three of her. KO was a Mighty Mouse just like her t-shirt had declared on her first “official” date with Hope.

Time was winding down. Something needed to happen soon. Hope stole a look at the time again. Oh God, only one more minute. When the cheering started again. KO had stolen the ball at mid field. She took two touches, drawing defenders. She passed it off to the Middy’s and then shot down the side towards the goal. The Middy’s moved the ball forward and then found KO and passed off to her. KO touched it once and then passed it into the middle where a U.S. Striker was standing unbelievably alone. The Striker reared back her leg and took the shot. She buried it in the net. Goal U.S. The stadium, the announcers, and the house all went wild. 

KO had an assist. KO and the Striker flung themselves at each other and fell onto the grass. Then it seemed as though the whole U.S. team piled on top of them. KO was on the ground beneath hundreds of pounds of USWNT. Hope worried she would be crushed but then she saw KO’s face. Total jubilation showed in it. The whistle blew for the final time. We won. 

Hope just stared at the TV for few moments and then jumped to her feet and ran to the kitchen and opened the fridge. She pulled out a bottle of Champaign, grabbed a flute and ran back to the camera. Hope removed the foil and the cage from the bottle and then twisted the cork. It shot across the room with a loud pop. Champaign flowed out of the bottle all over the floor and Hope didn’t care. She filled the flute and offered it to the camera. Then Hope leaned down into the lens of the camera and talked directly to it. 

“Kells, if this whole film doesn’t show you we believed then I don’t know what to do. But I know Kells, you got this.” Hope took one last look into the lens and left the camera to the heathens. 

The Daddies ran across the room with red, white, and blue boxers on their heads and stopped to mug in front of the camera. 

The game cast ended with KO running up to the camera waving her wrist at it. The one with the tape on it. She held it up to her mouth and gave it a kiss and then waved goodbye and trotted off over the field to join her teammates. Carli poked Hope in the ribs.

It was a few hours before the last of the partiers left and then Hope, Carli, and Daddies began cleaning up. The caterers had taken off and the tent, chairs and tables picked up by the rental company. Hope sent the Daddies home and she and Carli stood at the door. 

“Hope, do you want to take the banners down now.”

“No, I am going to leave them up. KO will be home tomorrow afternoon. It would be nice for her to pull in and see it.”

“Hope, KO is something else. I can see why you love her. And when she comes home tomorrow and see’s what you did for her, she is going to see how much you love her. And I bet she is going to love you right back.”

“Hold on there Carli. It’s a bit early to be talking about love.”

“Maybe so Hope. But, you both are going to know it even if you don’t say it.”

Just then Hope’s phone rang. She looked down at it. Carli saw her face and she knew who was calling. She waved bye to Hope and walked off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter - the return of KO.


	19. Cornered By KO Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> KO comes home.

It’s Sunday and time for Hope to leave for airport so she can pick KO up. She stopped at a florist on the way. Hope picked up a dozen red roses and then thought about her conversation Carli. These might be a little too heavy handed Hope thought. The she looked at the bright yellow daffodils on display. They reminded her of KO. Bright, vibrant, sunny, they were just right. Hope walked up to the cashier to pay and stopped. She looked back at the roses. She really wanted to get those. Hope stepped back over to the roses. Screw it and my over thinking everything. I’m getting the roses.

Hope arrived at the airport. She was just supposed to pick KO up at the curb but she didn’t want to do that. She parked and walked in as far as she could go, the security check point, and waited. It seemed to take forever. She checked the board again. KO’s plane landed 15 minutes ago. She paced back and forth attracting the attention of the TSA Agent. And then Hope saw it. The messy bun. She’d know that bun anywhere. She could pick it out of a police lineup if she had to. 

Hope moved over so she was right in line with the bun and shouted out,”Kells, Kells, over here.”

The bun stopped moving. A head peaked around the person in front of it. It was KO. She broke into the best smile Hope had seen in three weeks which was the amount of time KO had been gone.

KO ran, making a bee line for Hope. KO launched herself into the air. Hope was ready, she knew what was coming. KO wrapped herself tightly around Hope. They clung together like that for several minutes and then KO leaned back and laid one of the best ever KO kisses on Hope. It was slightly indecent, in public as they were. 

“KO, these are for you.” Hope proffered her bouquet of roses.

KO laughed. She brought her hand around. She was grasping a bouquet of roses. “And these are for you Hope.” 

They were on the same wave length. 

Hope continued to carry KO (KO looked right at home) as she walked all the way to baggage claim and only put her down when the conveyor started rotating. KO pointed out her bags and Hope plucked them off. They walked towards the car. Hope was pulling the suit cases while KO linked one of her arms around Hope’s and held the two bouquets in the other. KO was chatting away a mile a minute and continued to do so as they drove home stopping only to kiss Hope every time they hit a traffic light or stop sign. They got honked at again, twice. Hope was trying to keep one eye on KO and the other on the road when KO let out a shriek pointing across the road. 

Hope nearly took out another light pole. Hope had lost track of where they were. They were right in front of her house and KO had seen the large USWNT/Kelley O’Hara banner. KO, squirming like a worm maneuvered herself nearly into Hopes lap and leaned out of the window with her phone snapping pictures. Hope gave her a minute and then drove on and pulled into the Frat house. KO bolted out of the car and was walking quickly over to Hope’s house.

“KO.” Hope called out. “Don’t you want to go in the house and unload your stuff?”

KO called out over her shoulder. “I want to go in the house but not that one.”

Hope power walked over to KO and wrapped an arm around her. When KO entered the house she exclaimed, “Jesus Hope, it smells like a brewery in here.”

“Well that’s because we had a big ass party in here yesterday. Your friends have a tendency to spill their beer.”

“A party? My friends?” KO walked further into the house. “Why do you have another couch? Where did that big ass TV come from? More banners?” Then she hit the kitchen where there was another TV and more banners. “All this for just the Daddies and Carli?”

“I told you, we had a big ass party yesterday. And I mean big ass party. It was equal to the TV. All of your friends and teammates were here. Probably about 30 to 35 people. We had a caterer with a huge smoking grill on the driveway cooking up ribs and brisket. We had a large party tent outside and played KO corn hole and beer pong, the regular kind not the beach party kind. But mostly we just played KO corn hole and watched TV.” 

“KO corn hole and watched TV?”

“Yep TV and guess who was on it? You.”

“You hosted a large ass party, inviting all my friends. To your house. For the game?” KO says with disbelief written all over her face. “From what I have seen party seems too small of a word. Maybe event fits it better.”

“Yes. I wanted to be with all of the people that cared about you. And I filmed it all so you can watch it and feel like you were there.” Hope reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Champaign. “And now I can really toast you now that you’re here.”

Hope was standing in nearly the same place KO had cornered her after the movie date.

KO smiled and advanced on Hope. She didn’t take her eyes off Hope and Hope didn’t take her eyes off KO. KO came to within inches of Hope and this time Hope closed the whole gap. They stumbled around the kitchen inhaling each other and Hope murmured “Kells.” KO pulled back.

“What’s wrong KO?”

“You called me Kells.”

“I did? I’m sorry. Does that bother you?” 

“You called me Kells in the airport. You called me Kells when I called you upset from camp. You called me Kells that night on the couch, and you called me Kells when you stepped in front of me to shield me from that angry man.”

“Is it ok?”

“Yes.” 

KO took Hope’s hand and started leading her to the bedroom. “Be sure to grab the Champaign we will be needing that.”

Hope wasted no time running back for the bottle and then catching up with KO just inside the bedroom. Hope closed the door just as Leo, her dog, got there. Leo started to whine. 

“Shut up Leo.” Hope called out.   
Leo trotted back out to the living room and began to lick the carpet where Hope spilled the Champaign the day before. Leo likes Champaign too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter - “Hope can I ask you something personal?”


	20. Bedroom Banquets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversations and declarations.

Late the next morning although afternoon was probably closer to the truth, Hope padded back into the bedroom with the party tape in her hand and slid it into the player. KO was adjusting all their bounty from the kitchen they had chosen for their brunch. Hope passed KO the last bottle of Champaign. They hunkered down to eat and watch the “KO Show.” Starring, KO. Produced by, a bunch of inebriated scoundrels. 

They laughed so hard. KO loved the road show portion where Hope and Carli traveled to all of the Venders and especially when Carli got pelted with the bean bag chairs. Hopes face plant was KO’s favorite (as Hope knew it would be) eliciting peals of laughter as she insisted on watching it backwards and forwards, slo-mo and sped up. All of the little cameos from KO’s friends. The half time tour around the party with the beer pong toss and KO corn hole. Hope made sure to point out KO becoming a star on the sidelines with all of her antics. KO to her credit laughed at herself. 

When they hit the part about the wrist tapping KO sat up and didn’t say a word. Hope got worried.

“You were really upset Hope.” 

“Well yeah. I thought you were injured.”

“I didn’t think to mention it. People in soccer know about it and it didn’t even occur to me you wouldn’t. I’m sorry I upset you.”

“Kells, it’s ok. I over reacted a bit. I was tired from all the effort in getting things together. I was so wanting to be with you to tell you that you could do it and I had been drinking a bit by then. You had some tape on your wrist, it wasn’t like you were missing an eye or opened your mouth and half you teeth were gone. I jumped the gun.”

They hit the 70th minute when KO entered the game. 

“Now here’s where we were all worried about you Kells.” 

KO saw herself step up to the side line looking pale. And rubbing her taped wrist. 

“Everyone in the room had heard the whole “my bracelet story” earlier and you looked a little pale and you were rubbing the bracelet. I wished I could have reached out and held your hand while you waited to go in Kells.”

“But Hope you were. That’s what that bracelet means to me. That’s why I rubbed it.” KO said as she snuggled into Hope.

“Look Kells. You raised your arms and smacked it just as you went in. What was that?”

“You were giving me a high five Hope.”

Just then KO heard Carli’s voice on the tape. She turned and could see Carli sitting next to Hope telling her that I would be all right. Hope just nods her head as she clenches her fist on her knees. KO realized then that it was just as hard on Hope as it had been for herself. 

They relived all of the steals and tackles KO made. Hope jerked every time something happened like it was live. And then came the game end when they scored. KO watched herself celebrate and then saw on the party view of the tape how Hope jumped up and ran off. Only to return in minutes with a bottle of Champaign and offering the toast to the camera.

“Aww you toasted me.” And then she viewed the part when Hope filled the screen and told her how much everyone believed in her. Hope looked so earnest speaking to the camera. It made KO think of the first time she saw Hope, mad as hell and nearly snorting fire. She was scary, hot scary. She has seen so many sides of Hope over the last four months and they had come so far. From the yard wars, to peace, to understanding, to support, and now this new phase.

“Hope can I ask you something personal?”

“Sure KO. I will try to answer as best as I can.”

“Do you love me?”

Hope got stock still and her face lost all expression.

KO tried to back track. “That’s ok, you don’t have to say anything. I get it.” As she rolled away from Hope.

Hope reached for KO pulling her back. “No Kells that’s not it. That’s not it, please believe me. It’s just that I had this same conversation with Carli last night. Well, she really had the talk with me. I mostly listened. She asked me if I loved you. And before I could answer she said you were going to come back here and see all of this stuff and know I loved you. And then she said she thought you were going to love me right back.”

“She’s not wrong Hope. I do love you. I’d never deny loving you.”

“Geeze Kells. You are so fierce and brave. You’re not afraid to reach out. Carli is not wrong about me either Kells. I do feel that it’s just that I have never felt it before or said it. And here I am after a few months of knowing you and find that you have somehow wormed your way into my heart. You just slipped right in and I didn’t even know it. I love you Kells. You have made me this soft, gooey thing that I don’t even recognize.”

“Never before? I evaded all your defenses and made you soft and gooey?”

“Yes.”

“Damn, I must be good.”

Hope flips KO over and positions herself on top of her. 

“Well, I could say that’s a lot of ego there Kells but I can’t because you are exactly right.” 

The KO show continues to play in the background but they don’t even notice. Busy being lost in each other. By 4:00 they are up and showered finally. KO didn’t have any clothes to put on so Hope had to lend her some. KO looked like a child in Hope’s clothes, they were so big on her. They walked over to Frat house and KO went in while Hope got the suit cases. When Hope entered she found all three of the Frats rolling around on the floor. 

“About time you brought her back Hope.” The Daddies call out.

“Hey I wasn’t holding her hostage. She was free to leave any time she wanted.”

“I just didn’t want to,” KO sang out from underneath her Daddy pile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am feeling moody today. Maybe conflicted is the right word. The next chapter will be the last. I wanna hit the delete key and change it but honestly, it feels right. It just makes me sad.


	21. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers. Today is that day when we are wrapping this puppy up with a bow on it. Although you may not agree. This story originally ended at chapter 20, the last one. It just didn’t sit right with me and did not seem to give what turned out to be many readers’ fondest wishes. I woke up one morning and wrote this last one. Again, I just want to say before you read this that I have brought this beast home in the manner that many of you had requested. I just may have gone about it in a way that you never could have seen coming. I guess that old adage about being careful for what you wish for because you just might get it could apply.

Hope is still in shock as she walks into the hospital room and places a vase of fresh daisies on the stand by the bed that holds KO. KO, her Kells. The little imp that stole her heart away nearly 50 years ago. She can’t believe where she now finds herself, keeping vigil over Kells. 

Hope tries to not be angry. How did time manage to catch Kells? For herself, she doesn’t care. But, not her Kells. Fast as a whip. Sweet as sugar. And with a sense of loyalty that knew no bounds. With an unshakeable belief in them that saw them through hard times. 

Hope remembers the whispers, the promises made in the night. Kells had always promised Hope that she could go first so she would never have to live this day. Hope is embarrassed that she ever extracted that promise out of Kells because when she looks into Kells eyes she can see the worry and it ought to not be that way. It wasn’t fair. It was weak of Hope.

Is it THAT day today? Who knows? Fucking fate. Fate. Once it was on their side. It had to be fate the day KO and the Frats moved into the blue house. Hope chuckles as she remembers those first few months. Months of bickering, battles, and skirmishes. How she longs to go back there. The days when Kells pushed all of her little buttons. 

Hope’s phone signals a call.

She steps away so as not to disturb Kells sleep.

“Hi Carls.” 

“How’s our girl doing today?”

“She’s sleeping right now. I haven’t been able to talk to her yet but the Nurse said her night was peaceful. They have been upping her meds to help.” Hope says with a catch in her throat.

“I’ll be there early tonight. One of the Daddies is picking me up to bring me over.”

“Ok, I’ll see you then.” Hope says softly ending the call.

Hope walks back to the bed and retakes her seat, reaching out to Kells hand. Kells has begun to stir.

“Hope?”

“Yes Kells. Do you need anything?”

“Another 50 years with you might cover it.”

“Oh Kells. Please.” She pleaded and then hated herself for it. Here they were in this awful place and Kells had still work up the desire to flirt with her..

“I dreamt last night. It’s the first time I have dreamed in a long time.”

Hope steels herself, afraid of the answer. “What did you dream?”

“It was wonderful. It was like I was there again.”

Hope relaxes. “And, where was that?”

“The morning after I came back from my first cap. We were lying in bed watching the film and having a bedspread picnic.”

Hope smiles at the memory.

“It was the first time you told me you loved me.”

“Yeah, after you dragged it out of me. No, that’s not the right way to say that.” Hope corrects herself. “When you gave me the courage to admit it.”

They both fall silent, each caught up in their own remembrances of the years spent together. It hadn’t always been easy. The travel, separations that stretched into weeks at a time. The injuries. No it hadn’t always been easy. It never is. Hope needed the bad because without that, when did you know you were having the good of it all?

The good. There had been plenty of that. The best of that were their two children. Both girls. Faith and Kelsey. Faith, a carbon copy of Kells. Played soccer and had just hung up her cleats for good a few years ago. Faith had followed her mother’s path. Went to Kells alma mater, Stanford where she beat Kells records. There they were, listed right beside each other in the books for all times. Hope remembers, mother and daughter standing on the pitch side by side as Kells jersey was retired.

Kelsey, named for her mother and although she didn’t exactly excel at sports she was every bit the copy of her mother as Faith was. Kelsey had been the recipient of Kells intelligence and love of the ocean. Kelsey had gone to Cornell and become a marine biologist. She now spent her time protecting the oceans from the damage man inflicts upon them and like her mother, surfs every chance she can.

It seemed like just yesterday when they would walk the kids down the street on their way to park. They would always stop at the corner store that had penny candy. The kids would each get a quarter to spend. They would eat their treats and then play in the park, running off all the sugar they had just consumed. The houses they would pass with people sitting out on their porches calling out their hellos. Hope was caught up in these memories.

“Is the book still here? My first cap book?”

“Yes. Would you like to look at it together?”

And look they did. A walk down memory lane. Back to when life really took off for the both of them. KO liked to come back to this a lot now. It was a comfort, those exciting days of when it began as she sits on the precipice of when it will end.  
Hope notices that KO is getting tired. It’s the drugs. They kill the pain, and Hope is grateful for that but, they make Kells so sleepy. It’s like they are stealing their time away from her.

“Would you sing me the song?” KO requests sleepily.

“Yes Kells.”

Hope begins to sing the song that Kells had fallen in love with. They first heard it at a little Italian restaurant that had a piano player serenading the dinners as they ate. That night an older couple had been there celebrating their 60th anniversary and their children had requested this song. It had played at the older couples wedding and they always thought of it as “their” song.

Hope stops before she finishes the first line. She kicks off her shoes and climbs into bed with Kells pulling her close very gently and begins again.

(Keep reading after the lyrics. There is a blurb that lets you know where we are going next. You really should go to the youTube page and listen to this song. It covers a life time with the one you love and does it so simply. At 1.5 minutes in, many of the images in the video match up with the imagery I have laid out in this chapter.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5AzmEX-txw

Daisy A Day  
He remembers the first time he met ‘er  
He remembers the first thing she said  
He remembers the first time he held her  
And the night that she came to his bed

He remembers her sweet way of singin'  
Honey has somethin' gone wrong  
He remembers the fun and the teasin'  
And the reason he wrote ‘er this song

I'll give you a daisy a day  
I'll give you a daisy a day  
I'll love you until the rivers run still  
And the four winds we know blow away

They would walk down the street in the evenin'  
And for years I would see them go by  
And their love that was more than the clothes that they wore  
Could be seen in the gleam of their eye

As a kid they would take me for candy  
And I loved to go taggin' along  
We'd hold hands while we walked to the corner  
And the old man would sing ‘er his song

I'll give you a daisy a day  
I'll give you a daisy a day  
I'll love you until the rivers run still  
And the four winds we know blow away

Now he walks down the street in the evenin'  
And he stops by the old candy store  
And I somehow believe he's believin'  
He's holdin' ‘er hand like before

For he feels all her love walkin' with him  
And he smiles at the things she might say  
Then the old man walks up to the hilltop  
And gives her a daisy a day

I'll give you a daisy a day  
I'll give you a daisy a day  
I'll love you until the rivers run still  
And the four winds we know blow away

And in the end, KO was right. She did wage a little war on Hope. She had to, the stakes were high. KO turned out to be a benevolent ruler in the Land of Hope and she performs daily raids into the land, pillaging and looting for every little piece of Hope she can get. 

And then there was Carli………..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave you forever. That is what was requested. This story was originally supposed to be about 12 chapters and it just sprawled out to almost double. I know when I see an interesting story and it has 76 chapters I kinda bypass those. Fine, I am lazy. So I wanted to give you the full ride without being seemingly never ending. Condensing was required.
> 
> Thank you all for your Kudos and kind comments. You guys have been great and very encouraging and I appreciate that more than you can know. This has been the most fun I have had in a while. Although that might make me seem a little pathetic. It truly was a fun romp and at something I had never done before. I now have three complete stories and a fourth in the works. I hope you will tune in.


End file.
